Playing without leading scorer Jenny Kundert, the Wisconsin women’s soccer team fell to the Nebraska Cornhuskers 2-1 in the final game of the Rocky Rococo Classic yesterday, ending the Badgers’ five-game unbeaten streak.
Kundert, who leads the team in goals (4) and points (11), missed the game with a strained quadricep, but head coach Dean Duerst expects his team leader to play in the Big Ten conference opener against Indiana Sept. 19.
“She was just not full go [today],” Duerst said.
With 18:38 remaining in the first half, forward Iman Haynes capitalized on a scramble in front of the Wisconsin net and knocked home a rebound from teammate Nikki Baker’s deflected shot to notch the game’s first goal and put Nebraska ahead 1-0.
The Badgers opened the second half firing, generating three quality chances to score in the first five minutes of the half. Using a quick counterattack, Wisconsin turned defensive stops into offensive opportunities and out-shot the Cornhuskers 8-4 in the second half.
After numerous scoring chances failed to produce a goal, freshman Emily Kintzer dribbled through the Nebraska defense and slipped the ball into the side of the net to tie the score at 1-1 with 12:13 remaining.
“The energy was rejuvenated, we were ready to go, and there was no doubt in my mind that we weren’t going to lose that game,” said defender Molly Meuer, who was named to the All-Tournament team along with teammates Marisa Brown, Kundert, and Katie Lindenmuth.
Following Kintzer’s goal, the Badgers continued to dominate play until Nebraska forward Ashley Carter caught the Wisconsin defense off-guard and scored the game-winning goal with 1:43 remaining.
“We stuck with it today in terms of being down and coming back and fighting through,” Duerst said. “We showed some character, and then we just gave it away at the end.”
In the final ten minutes, the Badgers again generated quality chances, but consistently failed to capitalize.
“Our forwards need to put those opportunities away,” Duerst said.
With the loss and a 1-1 tie against Iowa State Sept. 12, the Badgers finished third in the four-team Rococo Classic behind Michigan and Nebraska. The loss dropped Wisconsin’s record to 4-2-1 overall.
“I’m incredibly disappointed because I think we’re a better team than we showed on the weekend,” Duerst said.
The Badgers’ offense struggled in the Classic, recording just two goals in two games. “Two goals on a weekend is not Wisconsin soccer,” Duerst said. “We’re not going to settle for two goals on a weekend.”
However, the team remains confident heading into conference play.
“Big Ten is so much different than this,” Meur said. “Big Ten is hard and rough, and you have to come out game in, game out like it’s the National Championship game. You can’t let down in the Big Ten because there’re too many rivalries, so we’re ready to go.”
The Badgers open their conference schedule against Indiana, a team tied Wisconsin for fifth place in the final Big Ten standings last season with a conference record of 4-4-2. The two teams played to a 2-2 tie in double overtime in last season’s conference opener.
In the Big Ten Conference preseason coaches’ poll, Wisconsin was picked to finish third, four spots ahead of Indiana. However, the Hoosiers have had success against the Badgers in recent years. Since Duerst took over as head coach in 1994, the Badgers have earned a 39-30-12 Big Ten record and a 5-5-2 record against the Hoosiers.